Mary Agnes Mathewson Sullivan

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 16:05

Marie left school in the eight grade, she always said " I am good with my hands, not so much with the books." She always lived in the Wanshuck area in Providence except for a 20 year period after marriage when they lived in Foxpoint. They returned to Wanshuck in the 60's and she died there in 1996. She always walked to work at the various mills in the neighborhood. She did go back to work after I was born in 1943, my Nana was with us and she watched me. The last year she worked was 1947 for a short time after the birth of my brother.

Market Square

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 16:01

Market Square continues to be used as a municipal parking lot, with paving stones that denote where the trenches that supplied water to the city's textile mills once ran. It is also home to a replica of the tower of the Ballou Mill.

Market Square

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 16:00

 

By the 1950s, the textile industry was in serious decline. The destruction caused by the Woonsocket Falls flooding in 1955 caused the demise of the mills in the adjacent Market Square.

In 1960, the city of Woonsocket demolished all the buildings in Market Square and created a municipal parking lot.

Images courtesy of the Harris Public Library

Market Square

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:58

The turn of the century would redefine the mills in the Market Square area. In 1912, Otto Timme of The Woonsocket Falls Mill Company bought the Ballou Mill from the Rhode Island Finishing Co. and remodeled the building so that it was able to produce plushes. In 1915, the company also installed a dyeing and finishing department.

Market Square

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:56

 

After 1880, the Ballou Mill was purchased and used by a number of owners, including James P. and Edgar K. Ray and The Rhode Island Dyeing and Finishing Co.

The Harris Mill was no longer in operation by 1870 since Harris had moved most of his operation to Main Street. In 1890 Harris Mill #1 was sold to the Mowry Grist Mill Co, which had purchased Arnold’s Grist Mill property in 1862. The two mills were consolidated and would continue operations until 1919.

In 1862 the Lyman Mill was sold to J.P. and J.G. Ray. Its operations continued until the mid-1890s.

Market Square

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:53

Four mills defined this area, known as Market Square, in the 19th century: Ballou Mill, Harris Mill #1, Mowry Grist Mill and the Lyman Mill.

As early as 1698, an ironworks and sawmill were located on the western edge of the Market Square area along the Blackstone River. The sawmill was built by the sons of Richard Arnold, one of Woonsocket’s earliest settlers, while the forge was located downstream from the sawmill. A flood in 1807 destroyed the forge.

Therese Ricard Blais

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:50

In 1943 Therese Ricard took a job working at the U.S. Rubber Company in their annex building located on the corner of Social and Worrall streets in Woonsocket. Therese was 16 years old when she started work in the mill. She worked the student shift, after school from 3pm-7pm. Her job was to paste and cement big rubber tubes that would be folded in different ways in order that the would fit inside the decoy rubber tank turrets. These rubber tanks were called "Targets" and were painted in such a way so they looked as if they had a shadow.

Stephanie Bissonnette

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:49

Stephanie (Holubesko) Bissonnette - mill worker; as told by daughters Doris, Claire, & Jeanne. 

It's a story often told, children of immigrant parents sent to work in the local mills to help support their large and growing families. Our mother, Stephanie Holubesko was no exception. She thrived in school and fought her parents to allow her to continue until 8th grade graduation.

Lorraine Lydia Robin

Submitted by Woonsocket_Admin on Tue, 02/27/2018 - 15:48

Lorraine's very first job was working at Finkelstein's, and the photo is from that time of employment - 1958 - when Lorraine was 16 years old. She remained with the firm until 1960. At first Lorraine was very nervous with the new job, but found the trainers and co-workers helpful. Soon she was quite comfortable stitching collars and attaching them to jackets It was piecework and if quotas were made, there was a $25 bonus. As the seasons changed Lorraine moved from assembling Winter garments to Spring-wear.

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